Deep in a cave at the foot of a mountain,the dragon stirred.
Not physically. His body remained still, coiled in the jagged hollow of the mountain's root. Cracked scales pressed against rock. His breaths were slow… ragged. Sleep had taken him long ago, but never fully.
Pain didn't allow that luxury.
Fifty years.
Fifty years since the King's men struck him down, lacerated his wings, and burned through his core. He had fled here—barely alive—driven by instinct and agony, and sealed himself within the earth.
He had not been disturbed… until now.
The restriction has been triggered.
His senses flickered to life, like embers catching air. Two signatures. Faint. One familiar—Elven. The other… strange. Tethered to something he could not yet decipher. Weak, but bright. Pulsing.
Not a threat.
Still, he listened.
Their steps echoed across the valley floor.
He exhaled, a low vibration through the stone, unheard above.
Foolish.
But something… something pulled at him. That strange presence—it wasn't ordinary. It felt like two things, woven together but jagged at the seam.
He did not move.
Not yet.
But for the first time in fifty years, his eyes opened—slits of molten gold gleaming in the dark.
Let's see what you want, little liar.
_________
Athena halted, her arm extended as she stopped Rain from continuing forward.
"You don't need to keep following me," she said calmly.
Rain blinked. "But Sir Elandor told me to escort you to the entrance of the cave."
"Do you even know where that is?" Athena asked, tilting her head slightly.
Rain's gaze dropped. "...No. But I'll find it."
"Don't bother," Athena said,"I already did."
Rain's eyes narrowed, not entirely convinced. "Are you sure?"
Athena gave a small, confident nod. "Yes. Just stay here."
Rain hesitated for a moment, lips parted like she wanted to argue—but then, seeing the calm certainty in Athena's expression, she stepped back.
"If you're not back in an hour, I'm coming after you," she muttered.
Athena didn't answer. She was already turning away, heading toward the location marked clearly on her map.
________
The dragon lay still, its heavy body barely moving, and its senses remained focused on the elf that dared approach his abode. He could sense her hesitation in the falter of her steps as she neared his cave. The sound of her footfalls echoed lightly, a steady rhythm, but it lacked the usual confidence of someone who had prepared for what was ahead.
His massive form remained motionless, the cave heavy with silence, his eyes closed as if he were deep in slumber, yet his mind sharpened like a blade, waiting for the intruder to make her move.
Athena paused just outside the entrance, heart racing slightly as she peered into the dark abyss of the cave. This was it. She crept forward, muttering little prayers to herself under her breath like some sort of ritual. Each step felt like a challenge, her nerves tangling with the fear and excitement of what was ahead.
The darkness swallowed her, but she continued, slowly moving deeper, the echo of her footsteps becoming louder the further she ventured. She wasn't sure if she was more frightened or curious at this point.
Wow.
She muttered as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, and then she saw it—a massive form, something that seemed to stretch and fill the entire cave. At first, it looked like a giant rock, like something from a crumbled building, but the more she focused, the more she realized what it truly was.
A dragon.
Her breath caught in her throat, but curiosity quickly overtook any fear. She was in awe, imagining how this moment would have been so much better if she could just snap a photo or record a video for the people back home. Wouldn't they lose their minds over this?
I would so send this to those scientists. She thought with a grin. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
The dragon, however, remained perfectly still, its massive wings folded against its side. Athena slowly stepped closer, her feet soft against the ground. She could almost feel the heat radiating off its body. She reached the beast's wings—so large they almost formed blankets on the ground. A small noise slipped out of her.
"Aww."
Unbeknownst to Athena, the dragon's eyes opened just a sliver. A faint glow flickered in the depths of its golden eyes. What is this elf doing? His thoughts turned to confusion. He had expected a confrontation, a challenge—but this... this wasn't anything like what he had prepared for.
Athena, meanwhile, was still blissfully unaware of the shift in the dragon's attention. She couldn't resist. The dragon was asleep, right? She would just... touch it. It's a dragon, who could blame me?
Her fingers brushed against its smooth, metallic scales, and the strange, unearthly softness made her smile. "So smooth." She muttered to herself as she ran her fingers over the dragon's wings, a moment of pure awe. She felt the overwhelming urge to be even more ridiculous and, in a moment of complete abandonment, pressed her face against its scales, savoring the cool touch of its skin.
She even sniffed the dragon's scales.
"Hmm, not bad. Doesn't smell too good, though." She grinned, too lost in her little adventure to even consider the implications of what she was doing. But then—her lips pressed against the dragon's wing.
Yes. She kissed it.
It was impulsive, reckless, and if anyone could have witnessed the scene, they would have thought it was utterly absurd.
The dragon's tail twitched ever so slightly—but Athena didn't notice.
Instead, she took a deep breath and turned away, walking toward the far end of the cave. Her goal. Her purpose.
The core.
It pulsed weakly in the stone wall, like a dying ember. A small, black gem surrounded by faded runes, the light within it flickering like it could vanish at any second.
She approached, retrieving the replacement core from her inventory—the one the system had given her. Unlike the original, this one was perfectly spherical, humming softly with life.
Behind her, the dragon peeked.
His eye opened just a slit, golden iris glinting. He watched her with quiet interest, the ghost of a smirk on his lips. She had kissed him. He wasn't sure if he was more shocked... or amused.
Athena, oblivious, studied the ancient symbols around the dying core. "So this is what's been holding the island together," she muttered.
She brought the new core closer.
The cave responded immediately.
The walls rumbled as space shifted around her. Stone cracked and reshaped, revealing a deep circular chamber, and at the center—an elegant, floating slab of stone, suspended like an altar.
The core slipped from her fingers and floated forward as if drawn by fate itself.
It hovered over the slab—and then clicked into place.
Boom.
A pulse of blue light erupted from the core, rippling out with soundless force. Energy raced through the cave and beyond.
The system screen appeared with a soft chime: [Name the island]
Athena thought for a few seconds...Olympus...no...Disney land...Okay time to be serious. "Eldora,I'll name it Eldora."
The system interface changed.
[Island Core Replacement Complete]
Name: Eldora
Owner: Athena Grant
Size: 8000 square metres
Population: 1560
Reward: 1x Health Vial,100 development points
Congratulations, host. Mission Complete.
She stared at the message, barely registering the vial appearing in her inventory. Her attention was fixed on the core still pulsing with new life. A spark of satisfaction lit in her chest.
She turned, ready to leave.
____
Rain had been pacing back and forth near the cave's entrance for what felt like hours.
She bit her lip, glancing toward the mouth of the cave. Did something happen? Did it go wrong?
Then, a breeze swept past her.
She stopped.
The air had changed.
It smelled fresh—cleaner than she'd ever breathed before. Like spring rain and blooming flowers.
Then the wind picked up again, stronger this time, almost playful. It danced around her, tugging at her cloak.
And then, like a curtain being lifted, the valley transformed before her eyes.
Flowers bloomed in a rush, vines unraveled across stone, streams burst from cracks and rolled over rocks with clarity and sound. Trees that were bare seconds ago now stretched toward the sky with leaves fluttering in delight.
Rain's eyes widened in awe. "What the...?"
Just then, a familiar figure emerged from the cave
_________
Elandor stood frozen at the balcony of his hall, overlooking the valley below.
He'd felt the pulse. Like a heartbeat reaching into his very soul.
He clutched the railing as he watched the world shift.
He didn't need confirmation.
He knew what had happened.
The girl had done it.
Cheers echoed from the village below as the people streamed toward the hall, their voices unified in wonder and celebration.
And still, in the back of his mind, one thought lingered.
What kind of child holds that kind of power?